Is rTMS an effective therapeutic strategy that can be used to treat anxiety disorders?

Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation for Clinical Applications in Neurological and Psychiatric Disorders: An Overview

“…The mechanisms by which cortical activation occurs are not entirely clear, although some authors suggest that a transient increase in the efficacy of excitatory synapses may play a role. Higher frequencies are achieved because a bipolar stimulus is shorter than a unipolar stimulus and requires less energy to produce neuronal excitation [14].…”

“…rTMS alters or modulates the function of the neural circuitry in the brain that is believed to be disorganized in certain disorders [12][13]. In fact, there is now a growing interest in the research of new treatment for neurological and psychiatric disorders; however, the main focus of the possible therapeutic effects of rTMS remains in the domain of depression [14]. Within this context, the current review paper aims to present basic concepts of TMS, sham-rTMS and stimulation parameters, which influence the individual response to rTMS, and to provide information on the current research and main findings related to the potential therapeutic effects of rTMS on neurological and psychiatric disorders, such as stroke, Parkinson's disease, anxiety disorders, depression and schizophrenia.…”

Neurorestorative Effects of Constraint-Induced Movement Therapy after Stroke: An Integrative Review

“…The maximum force field generated by the stimulator is able to activate cortical neurons at a depth of 1.5 to 2 cm under the scalp [30]. It is assumed that magnetic stimulation (100 ms duration) excites a neural population, inducing rapid changes in the rate of neural networks for only a few milliseconds [31].…”

“…It is assumed that magnetic stimulation (100 ms duration) excites a neural population, inducing rapid changes in the rate of neural networks for only a few milliseconds [31]. The magnitude of the induced current is dependent on both the magnitude and variation rate discharged through the coil; this current then produces a brief, but powerful electric field through the brain tissue, depolarizing neurons [30]. TMS has different intensities, frequencies and locations, so the stimulus probably occurs in different groups of neurons [32].…”

“…For example, PET and fMRI are able to reveal brain networks involved in specific functions; however, these techniques have poor temporal resolution and cannot demonstrate per se whether a particular cortical area is essential for a specific function [47]. TMS, on the other hand, can inhibit, activate, and temporarily disrupt brain activity, allowing the function evaluation on a scale of milliseconds [30,36,48]. Yet, EEG studies typically suffer from poor spatial resolution with a relatively imprecise location of electromagnetic patterns associated with the neural current flow [38].…”